Closing night!

In a few short moments, I’ll be getting in my car to head off to the theater for the last time on this production. I’m not working the strike (yeah!) because I’m not needed, so after tonight I won’t be going back for this show. I get to have a glorious ten days off before I start a new show - and that one is pretty much a babysit job.

It’s always a bit bittersweet to close a show. You’ve gotten used to seeing people on a regular basis. There’s a routine you get comfortable doing. And not to mention the adrenaline rush from running a show. We’ll run this one last time, have a party over at Spice Street and then all say adieu. Tomorrow the designers will begin clearing out the set, props, costume and Monday the lights will come down.

Meanwhile, I’ll be having a quiet time with the Bald One. We’ll do some yard work (because it needs it) and a bit of grocery shopping in preparation for Monday’s brunch, which will likely flow into a cookout much later. It’ll be a quiet, restful two days in preparation for a four day work week where I actually get to come home and relax, or do things around the hous or whatever instead of do theater.

Don’t get me wrong, I love working on shows and all the fun that we have together…but by the end of the run, I look forward to sitting quietly at home with my cats or taking a walk in the neighborhood after dinner. Or, my personal greatest pleasure, eating dinner on a plate at a table.

Tonight will be filled with final moments. The last places call for this cast, the last time I hear the joke about the guy’s wedding night and - thank everything that is holy - the last time I have to clean up the mess from the Anvil Chorus bit. Then we’ll all have a drink in congratulations and off to our own separate lives, knowing full well there will be some other time.

 

T13: Reasons I’m Working for the Weekend

It’s been one long spring and I’m ready for summer. The past ten weeks have been one of the longest shows I’ve worked on since I left college. We started a week early and this production company likes to run for four weeks instead of the usual three. No biggie, but at this point we’re all looking at each other thinking “done.” Luckily, this one ends on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I’ll have two glorious days where I have no commitments that I don’t make myself. So here’s a list of why I’m counting the minutes to the weekend.

13 Reasons I’m Working for the Weekend

1. Three Day Weekend! Three whole days where I don’t have to go to my little cubicle and listen to other people have conversations I’m not supposed to hear right outside my wall.
2. Closing night Always a great time to reach that point in a show, where you can all look at each other and say “we made it!” This one culminates with a party at Spice Street.
3. Spice Street on a Saturday Throughout this show, we’ve tried to have a drink over at Spice Street and routinely been blocked out by some chickie in some scantily clad yet oh-so-stylish outfit saying “it’s a private party” Once was the annual Latino thing, another time was a white party, and still another was just some odd event where we got no explanation. It’s nice to be on the guest list this time and tell them off.
4. Brunch The world stopped turning and the Bald One and Five Diamond (T) have Sunday and Monday off. This means we’re getting the long awaited brunch. Hopefully with cheese biscuits.
5. 5 hours of BBC I acquired the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice recently. Part of brunch is going to involve curling up with the hubby and our friends and watching this epic.
6. Gardening! With both of us off, we might actually finish mulching our front flower beds. Will wonders never cease?!?
7. Lazy Monday The other benefit of having both days off with the Bald One, we can be lazy and sleep in on Monday until the indecent hour of 10am.
8. new iPhone (maybe) Mercury went into retrograde and took out my cell phone. This means I lost connection with the world. Today (well, Thursday is almost weekend…) I go to the Genius Bar and if they can’t fix it, I get a new one. Woohoo!
9. new tattoo? I’m hoping to go visit the tattoo parlor and get the one that has been in my head for a while put on my body. It’s going to be a garland of gerber daisies around my ankle.
10. Ez Clean House Having had a “professional” come do the place last weekend means I should be able to rock through cleaning the house this weekend.
11. No more quiet office Things supposedly start to get interesting here after Memorial Day. Growing season kicks in and people start doing things fun.
12. Cheese Biscuits Have I mentioned these enough???
13. Sleep I miss it so. I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my bed.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Race for the Cure

Originally uploaded by Rae Z

I think it is only appropriate that I have spotted a turtle twice now on my walks at lunch. I’m doing the walks with a coworker to get us both ready for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. (If you are interested in sponsoring me, click here.) I’m doing this as part of my coworker’s “team” and in memory of my childhood neighbor.

I think the turtle is going to become our mascot. We’re a little slow - definately not the “race” portion of the race for the cure. And this is a disease that we’ll beat slowly but surely. Because slow & steady wins the race.

 

always get the clue sheet

Last night was one of those nights I dread as a sub-SPT stage manager. The night where things break and you have to fix it or work around it.

Quick background info: most theaters of a decent size have a master electrician who is either running the show or has their well-trained apprentice running the show for lights. A similar situation happens for sound. Or what might be the case is you have a well-rounded technical director who does everything from build the set to changing a blown light. My level has me running the show and doing all the fixing. Usually this is no big deal, as I can paint, follow cords and fix silly little things.

Every once in a while though, I have a show where I don’t get all my clue sheets. I often chance it and hope nothing breaks. Or if something does break, I hope it is an easy fix. Not so lucky tonight.

Last night I let the lights warm up and ran sound to check the speakers. I swept up and started walking the stage while shuffling a deck of cards. Then I noticed one light out. Then another. And a pair upstage. All in all, I had six lights not coming up. Without a clue sheet, I didn’t know which channels were out or what the official purpose of the lights were. With the number of instruments not behaving, I’m betting it is either a breaker or a dimmer pack being the source of the problem. When switching the breakers off and on doesn’t solve the problem and no way of knowing where the pack is, not to mention the mob of people now filling the lobby, we re-write the two affected cues and fix a bit of blocking and run the show.

After the show, on my way to get a drink with the house manager, my phone rings. It’s the lighting designer apologizing for not calling sooner and asking for the 411. I give him the run down and he says he’ll be by tomorrow. He also apologizes for not giving me a clue sheet before now.

This afternoon had him being one of the many calls I received (odd, that). The problem was very very easy - the plug from the dimmer pack to the outlet had fallen loose from the outlet. A quick shove back into the ceiling mounted outlet and all was right with the world. And now I have clue sheets.

 

just an off day?

Today, as my house manager said, was a great day until you got out of bed.

It rained when it shouldn’t have (my lawn needs to be mowed!)

I’m learning about blueberries.

There was a major accident that played havoc with my cast getting to the theater.

But, my soup was good.

The battery on my radio was dead, which led to some interesting relays for time calls. Thank goodness for the baby monitor.

So, good times. Ish.

 

I dream of Eno…

We’re a few months away at this point, but Eno is already flitting into my brain. This time it was combined with a strange dream essentially reminding me how dissatisfied I am with the current state of finances vs. working doing what I want to be doing.

I’m not really sure how it got started, but I was at Eno, but it was unusually open. I remember sitting on the steps of the hospitality station, but it felt more like Squire’s Castle in Cleveland. I was sitting there, looking out at the side of the Meadow Stage and all I could think about was how I’d so much rather be doing this full time than go back to doing my normal job with the agro-chemical folks.

I don’t even know who I was talking to at the time, but I remember talking about the moves we’re working on with my job, making it more of a project coordinator position than a true administrative position and how I was looking forward to that. Then, the music coordinator for the Eno looks at me and says “but that’s not what you really want.”

I remember looking at him in shock. And suddenly there’s all the people I’m used to seeing at Eno - the green-nature lovers in their comfiest, lightest weight clothing, the tie-dyed hipsters and the teenagers in bikinis and shorts. I look back at my stage and there’s a great band on with all kinds of complicated pieces on stage and I helped get them there and started and they’re looking to me to get them off on time so the next group can start. And I have a standing position here where people like me and look forward to seeing me and I them.

My mind starts flashing through to my current cast and how much I’ve enjoyed working with them and how vocal one has been about how impressed she is with me. And then I think of the company that calls me back year after year for tour and has asked me to work on their next project. Or the director who has been trying to get me to work with him for two years now. The director who has emailed me asking me if I’m available for either of his shows in the next season and tells me I’ve spoiled him for working with his students.

I had a discussion last night with one of my actresses and she asked why I wasn’t working with the local Equity house. I explained part of it was stability, part of it was not wanting to get an Equity card and then NOT be able to work anywhere else and part of it was out and out fear. What if I’m not good enough for professionals? What if I’m terrible and can’t do this full time? Will my life really have been a game of me just doing what I can because I like it and I’ve made it a priority like some aging musician and his garage band that plays an occasional gig at the bar? I love doing this and I’m good at it…is that enough?

I remember seeing this flash in my dream as well, through my mind in seconds and then feel the breeze and the trees as I ran. And the buzzing of my alarm waking me up. Waking me to another day of doing something I’m good at to pay the bills and getting to do what I really love for pennies at night, keeping me away from family and friends and hopefully making a different family over an art.

 

T13: How to disappoint a Mother

Mother’s day is coming…and with that, the guilt of how to properly thank the woman who brought you into this world and could quite possibly take you out of it.
How to Disappoint a Mother

1. Move Out The number one thing I have ever done to make my mother sad was leave home. They count the days until you walk out the door, but they never seem to realize that it actually means that you leave.
2. Live in another state/country To add insult to injury, if you’ve decided to be a functioning member of society by not living at home and setting up your own household - choose another state to do it in. It means that both parties will end up “wasting” vacation time visiting family…but it also saves you from the last minute drop-ins
3. Don’t have children* Not a guaranteed way to totally destroy your mother, but many seem to believe that the best way to get even with you for the hell you put them through as a child is to have one of your own. If you decide against that, then they automatically lose the right to laugh at you when your children pull a trick you did so many times.
4. “Waste” your education Often nowadays, parents help their darling offspring get a further education. Be it becoming a doctor or getting your contractors license, if you decide after a year or a day that this is no longer the career for you, it is a guaranteed arrow in to their heart.
5. Be employed in a shaky profession My parents are rational adults. My mother was so happy when I looked at a career in chemical engineering. Then, I switched to drama the same year my brother started performance jazz. Neither screams stability.
6. Be unemployed Even if no fault of your own, one of the fastest ways to disappoint is to not be gainfully employed. As I’ve been told, it is very scary to have one of your children (or their spouses) unemployed. It’s almst worse than #5.
7. Have debt Especially now, the idea that you owe money or don’t pay off your credit cards every month is a cringe worthy offense. How do you know something catastrophic isn’t going to happen and you will need your reserve?
8. Don’t Call Please.
9. Don’t Write The art of letter writing is gone, but you still need to send cards for the major holidays. If you don’t, that’s horrible.
10. Don’t listen to their advice They’ve got years of life experience and don’t want you to make the same mistakes. So by not listening you’re rejecting them completely! Evil child.
11. Buy her the wrong thing If you don’t know her size, go with jewelry. Or flowers.
12. give gift cards This just means that you have no imagination
13. forget Don’t forget your mother.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Weekends are for social insanity

Last weekend, amid opening Clean House, we had a full schedule. Kicking off the weekend early on Thursday was Opening Night which – for the first time ever – was attended by the Bald One. He seemed to enjoy the show and meeting the people I’ve been spending way too much time with and we escaped to our home at a decent hour.

Friday, the actual start to the weekend, had me enjoying a fabulous apple martini at Spice Street after the show with some of the cast, the director and our house manager. When I left at a decent hour, I was cajoled into driving fifteen minutes past my house to R&T’s new digs. After about an hour of checking out the nifty place, sitting on their deck enjoying the weather, the week caught up with me. We all migrated in to play Mario Kart and I started to fight sleep in the comfy leather recliner. I eventually give up, the boys run off to play loud music and I’m prodded awake around 4am to go sleep in a real bed.

Saturday – blissful bed as long as I want – followed by an attempt to clean and do useful things before running off to my show. The big deal this time around was that following the show, I was meeting the gang at our favorite little downtown bar for the Class of 1985 Prom. Complete with costumes and more AquaNet than I thought still existed. I can’t think of a song that they played that we weren’t singing word for word. What a deranged bunch we are.

Sunday was quieter, as suits the day of rest. Our matinee audience was refreshingly unexpected. After the show, we closed up shop for the next three days and I went off to a small house party in the opposite direction of my home. The party was a good mix of theater and civilians from all walks celebrating the Rites of Spring and the Fifth of May. After enjoying some excellent imported cheese in quesadilla form, I headed back home for a lazy evening with my husband.

You would think I’d learn to take a weekend of down time? Nah, why live that way…it’s too quiet.

 

Showing off!

iris

Originally uploaded by Rae Z

Just wanted to point out an example of how fabulous my husband is. Shown here is some of the mulch work he has done around the yard. We have this cypress mulch all over the house - attached gardens. The floating islands in the front are 2/3rds covered.

The Bald One rocks.

 

Darnit, I want my deck

Today is the absolute perfect day to have a deck.

There are twenty gazillion things I should be doing right now, ranging from scrubbing six weeks of life off the interior of the house to mowing the weeds. What I really want is to have some kind of cushy recliner set out on my non-existent deck and enjoy the cool breezes as I doze in the sun. It’s been that kind of week.

Our show opened on Thursday, which was quite excellent. I felt loved and admired as one of the actresses proceeded to say how fantastic I was. I made bonus points with her daughter as well by recommending that she check out the Maine State sumer theater camp. Just the fact that I knew about such a thing apparently was awesome. And, for the first time ever, the Bald One was in attendance. That made my night.

This show’s tech wasn’t a particularly hard one, but the week before of running and notes and discussion every night and will we/won’t we get the set elements in time was a little taxing. Add to that opening on the first of a month when bills are due and being in that odd limbo at work of being on the cusp of being busy but not being busy yet and you have one whacked out little Rae.

The yippy-skippy news is our federal “economic stimulous” package arrived. I should throw it at a bill and make it go away, but at current, I have a plan where we actually are managing to pay things down in a reasonable fashion. Combine that with the couple that gets us to go downtown and have a beer with them so often moving out to the boonies and we have an instant extra money supply. So the majority of the funding went into a savings account.

The not so yippy-skippy news is that the Bald One’s employer officially filed Chapter 11 yesterday. Blaming the sagging home market and the lack of retail confidence and you’ve got a failing home-goods store. Oddly, they’re not closing any stores in this area - despite our bets that one of them really should be. The Bald One does have his resume all shined up and has already applied for another position with a prescription home delivery company. Normal hours and theoretically better pay? If he’s happy, I’m all for it.

But now, I’ve delayed long enough. The house isn’t getting cleaner with me playing online. The bills are paid though, the one odd charge is gone and the breakfast has long been finished. Time to get cracking on life.

Even though the breeze is blowing and the birds are singing. Damn reality.